Miki Yamamoto's performance of the Milaros Noh Theater at 'Art Around Adam Street' in San Diego, California. June 7th 2008
with animation art by Ivan Camerana and Jesimiel Rivera. Vallo Riberto, artistic director

Monday, May 30, 2011

The Shanghai Star

I had a dream that I was traveling with other people on an old freighter named the Shanghai Star, and we were sailing on a wide river. As we traveled up this river it became more narrow until we were stuck in a small, sandy channel. Just on the other side of the channel was the next body of water that we were trying to reach. everyone got out of the freighter and stood below looking up at what was now a gigantic vessel. No one knew what to do. We were stuck and there was no way forward! In my s dream I was acutely aware of every ones pain and frustration including my own. We were all acting like little lost sheep. Finally we attached a rope to the front of the boat and all together we tried pulling, but it was useless. Just then, a mysterious little old lady emerged from the group and without saying a word began to throw pebbles into the little stream of water that the boat was sitting in. Everyone started to laugh or speak in a disgruntled fashion thinking that the old lady was either foolish or crazy. But she silently just kept throwing small pebbles into the stream. After a long while we began to notice that the stream seemed to be rising and that the boat also seemed to be rising along with it. We were all astonished, and we could barely believe our eyes at what appeared to be nothing less than an impossible feat and that we were all witnessing a real miracle! Excitedly now, every one joined in, grabbing stones and a hand full of pebbles and tossing them into the rising stream until finally and jubilantly the boat was lifted to the point that we could move forward through the water and over to the ocean, which was only a few yards from where we got stuck in the first place! In the dream I realized that the old lady was the Old Wisdom Women. She was that kind, compassionate and benevolent old woman who helps little children, animals and all of human kind, those persons who fall down, get hurt or lose their way. I woke up from that dream totally refreshed and with a new sense freedom, and that what ever the task was, I now had the means at my disposal to get it accomplished!